Getting Your Letterman Jacket

Stay tuned for the return of "Diary of A Cheerleader" on Wednesday and a new YouTube tutorial coming up soon!
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Yes, those lovely leather jackets with that marvelous letter symbolizing you being a part of your school's Varsity team. There's a few things to consider before you purchase yours!

Photo from Google Image Search

#1 The Price
Letterman jackets are very expensive and can range from $350-$400+ Yeah, I know it's a lot. You have to be prepared to pay in full when you physically receive your jacket unlike your cheer uniform.

#2 Sizing
Maybe sure you size it right. Take a few things into consideration like your growth. Do you believe that you're going to grow another inch or two. If you're like me then you have a small structure but long and lanky arms. I myself purchased a small with added inches which is always the way to good when in doubt instead of buying a baggy jacket that fits the sleeves.

#3 Patches
Some people believe that you don't need a jacket until you have patches. This is true but a letter is a patch in it's own right and you don't need 100+ patches on your jacket. They're nice to have but if you don't receive any just remember that your varsity patch is what's important.

These are just a few very simple things to consider when getting your letterman. Letterman jackets are great and are very memorable and nice to have as you get older but remember just because it's your first year on Varsity doesn't mean you have to get one. You can always save it for your senior year and it'll be just as special.

Love,
A Cheerleader

 

Failing Classes but Loving Cheer?

The beginning of the year is always so easy. Those first two weeks where you're just reviewing and getting comfortable with the class but once you hit the end of September you get a big reality check with you begin to take quizzes, tests, and large packets that need to be turned in. Here's a few tips on how to get those grades back up!

Picture from Google Image Search

#1 Extra Credit

Der da der der. This is what everyone falls back on and it really helps if your teacher is open to it. Make sure to get all the info and do as much as you can. It won't boost your D- to a C but it's a start and can make even the smallest difference that could help.

#2 Study Groups

You're already on a team so you already have a solid group of people! Odds are you're not the only one doing bad in a certain subject. You and your fellow teammates can get together in a classroom during lunch, before practice, or after and do homework so when those late night games hit and those weekends happen you're not dumbfounded when you receive a bad grade.

#3 Do the Work & Ask Questions!

It's a no brainer and it's what everyone seems to overlook. Most people begin to fail because they fail to do the work. Everything adds up eventually. If you do all of your homework and get some extra practice in the doing the material it will reflect on your test scores. It's why they assign it! You should also ask questions when you don't understand something but remember instead of thinking you sound stupid when asking just think you're not the only one wondering the same thing.

Love,
A Cheerleader

Best Cheer Makeup Products (that I use)

(This article/entry/post is in no way sponsored. This is my own opinions about these products. I own no pictures, links, or rights to anything on this page. I am just simply sharing interesting products that I don't own. Thank you.)

Here's a quick list of my football makeup, that I usually use at almost every game. I wear light makeup at school but during a game I like to go all out so here's just a peak inside of what helps me get ready!

Picture from Sephora.com

This product is also from Sephora but this time it's bareMineral's Eyecolor True Gold. At $14 it's not super, super wow but it's very sparkly and looks great under the stadium lights. I like to pair this with the stila (below). So this would be a thin base while the stila adds more metallic gold coloring. I also like this because it's not super over the top color so I can get away with wearing it to school without an occasion.

 











Picture from Sephora.com

I really, really love this product. It's from Sephora and it's called: Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye shadow. It's $32 which may seem pricy for a simple gold eyeshadow but this is nothing simple. This eyeshadow comes off the palette as creamy and very metallic. I've tried many different glitter gold products and this one works by far the best. It comes with a primer too that helps keep the glitter. I would really recommend this!

 





Picture from icing.com


I was pretty surprised when I picked this up from Icing at my local mall but I have to say this palette is super great and has a lot of bronzy colors that I like. The Expert Barely There Palette is so great for base coats and crease highlights. I like this palette but I'll admit that I only use about one or two of the colors. It's $12.50 so it's not like I blew a fortune on it for the few colors I use.

 

So those were just a few of the eye shadows and products I use. I'll be sure to add a few more to the list with another post soon! Thanks!

 

Love,

A CHEERLEADER

How to Balance School & Cheer

Something I haven't been doing very well lately is time management and I bet you can tell considering I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks! I'm really sorry about that but here we go! Here's a few tips to help manage your school work and cheerleading duties.

Picture from Google Image Search

1. Football Games & Homework
There's a lot of schools who share a football field with another school so they have to rotate when it comes to Friday Night Games. If your school is like this (mine is) then that means you probably have some Varsity games on Thursday sometimes and you know as well as I do that it's a struggle to get home at 10-11:30 with still another hour or two of homework left. My advice to you is to take a lunch period and go to your library to get some or even all of your homework done. Yes, you have pep rallies but they usually don't take up the own period, so take your homework and books to a quiet place and get it done so you can get some beauty sleep when you get home. Another alternative is to ask for your Thursday homework on Wednesday. You'll have to double up but it'll be worth not having to get it done late at night after the game.

2. Long Practice Hours
You may be able to get your homework done but you want to make sure you're not tired and sore the next day. Take a shower and use a heating pad to avoid being uncomfortable in those hard chairs tomorrows.

3. Waiting Till the Last Minute? Not So Good!
You have a performance coming up, football games, and practices. Tests, quizzes and homework are the last thing on your mind but really they should be the first. Make sure to study hard and do all of your homework because it will add up. All of those low scores will decrease your actually grade and make it so you really can't participate in cheer events because of your g.p.a.

Hope all of this helped! I'll try to get back on schedule with the posts! XOXO

Love,
A Cheerleader

 

Diary of A Cheerleader: Busy, Busy, Busy

Dear Diary,
I have been so, so busy ,lately! Football season has already kicked off, and now every week I'm heading to a new game.

I'll admit that lately I've been trying to come up with new advice but I have a bit of writers block and can't think of anything. I want to help you guys out but my head just isn't screwed on tight enough!

Besides the blog, in my cheer squad we recently got a new cheer coach (yeah I know mid school year) but then I was surprised that we were getting two new coaches. It's hard enough meeting one now two! But trust me when I say this I love them! They're so cool and really get everything done. They're so professionally and I think really care for us and as we get closer I'm sure our squad is going to progress a lot!

Well that's about it. Leave any comments with ideas for advice! XOXO

-A Cheerleader

Quick Tip: Visiting Cheerleader Gifts



Most squads during half time give a little gift or treat the opposing side's cheerleaders here's a quick tip on your treat giving!

Google Image Search



 

Cookies!

Cookies are the answer to everything, they're easy to make and less messy to eat. You should start by getting a good sugar cookie either store bought or even better homemade. Then get white icing and use cake gel to write on a megaphone with your school's letters inside! It's super easy and extremely cute. You can then invest in a small container to put each cookie inside!

 

Love,

A Cheerleader 

Asking Your Questions: Part 2

So I just got home from my first football game of the season and it was super fun, now I'm ready to answer your guy's questions! (I copied and pasted the questions from the comments in earlier posts)


when are the best times to wear my letterman because I always feel like a show off when I do :(

Don't feel like you're showing off. You earned it! You can wear your lettermen pretty much whenever you please, you don't need someone to tell you when! I suggest wearing it when it's colder so you don't take it off and lose it.

I lost my sparkly silver bloomers for under my uniform and im too scared to ask my coach to buy me knew ones from varsity clothing, -__-

This is an easy fix, you should just talk to your coach and let her know, but if that doesn't seem like an option for you here's a place that sells them for a decent price and has good shipping! (Click here)


I have been waiting for you to do another answering of questions! I sent this before but I never got an answer. how do you balance two difent sports

It's really about time-management. You have to have to good communication skills between coaches and make sure they can talk and be on the same page. Always make sure you have  a set calendar and that important events don't clash!

how do I learn howto not be scared when I fly. I want to be a flyer but im afraid my stunt group is going to drop me

It may sound stupid but the real answer is just simply "trust." You need to learn trust your stunt group and know that if you fall they will catch you. There's no way you can progress and move on to new stunts when you're afraid of your own stunt group. Have a stunt group bonding and get to know each other to make sure you're all on the same page.

is it true that you have to pay an arm and a leg to do cheer?

This is a complex question because yes it is pretty expensive but it all depends on what type, your coach, the season, etc. etc. Basically, cheer will not be cheap but if you play your cards right and save up with your parents it should work out.

I have to pick between cheer captain on jv and being on varsity which should I do! help!

This is a hard decision for you and I get it. But you should pick whatever seems to be a challenge for you and pushes you to do your best. On Varsity you will be the highest level and probably participate a lot more, but as JV captain you have a bigger job and you can have a chance to led your squad. Do what you believe will make your year super fun!

Hope all of these answers helped. I'll let y'all know when I do a "part 3!!!!!!"

Love,

A Cheerleader

Diary Of A Cheerleader: First of Many

Dear Diary,

The first football game is coming up fast and I can't help but feel a bit nervous. We've been preparing for what seems like years but is really just the summer which consisted of 2 1/2 months. I'm nervous but it's really in an excited way and I absolutely cannot wait for tomorrow when I get to be under those football lights (not at home feel though *sigh*)!!!! Well this has been a pretty short diary entry but I have tons of homework to do since the game tomorrow is on a Thursday! XOXO

-A Cheerleader

P.S: Make sure to leave some questions in the comments below for tomorrow's "Answering Your Questions."

Quick Tip: How to Carry Your Cheer Box

Now that school is in session my life is getting pretty busy and I don't have as much to brain storm awesome posts for you guys as usually, so when I have the time I'll do some quick tips to keep up the daily blog without having to take too much time away from my cheerleading! :) XOXO

Picture from Google Image Search

Ready for this quick tip? Carrying those cheer boxes to and fro gets so tiring especially when it's full of all of your stuff! (click here for What to Put in Your Cheer Box). I highly suggest purchasing a Megana Cart from any Home Depot or hardware store. They're super easy to open and close and do a great job carrying your box around. Here's a few places you can't get your own cart!

• Amazon
• Lowes
• Sam's Club
• Wal-Mart
• Sears

Hope this quick tip helped you this football season!
Love,
A Cheerleader

 

5 Easy Meals for Team Dinners

On Thursday I will be doing another "Answering Your Questions" post. (This is not a regular Thursday thing, it's just been a while) So be sure to leave all of your questions in the comments below or you can use the contact box on the right of the screen!
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When football season rolls around that also means the team dinners do. You'll probably have 12-25 girls in your home for a squad team dinner and it might seem impossible to feed everyone and keep them all happy. Here's 5 super easy meals for team dinners!

 

#1 Lasagna

Picture from Google Image Search

Everyone loves pasta and instead of boiling hundreds of angel hair noodles for spaghetti you can just serve up a pan or two of lasagna. It can be paired with other appetizers like garlic bread and salad. Sometimes you can even get away with buying a frozen lasagna instead of the traditional one from scratch. It saves money and probably a lot of your time.

#2 Subway Sandwich Platter
 







Picture from Google Image Search

Sandwiches are so fresh and refreshing. With subway you can make your own sandwich platter for a reasonable price (from experience). It's really easy and saves time to have to prepare a big meal. You can even buy some cookies to go with it for desert!

#3 Pizza

 







Google Image Search

We're kicking it old school with a traditional slice of pizza. It's so simple that people over look it. There's really absolutely nothing wrong with serving pizza at a time dinner. You don't need a giant fancy meal to satisfy everyone. You can either go to a nearby pizza shop or make it yourself so you can pat yourself on the back.

#4 Thanksgiving Comes Early
 







Picture from Google Image Search

If you're looking forward to hosting a team dinner to show off your mad cooking skills you can't go wrong with a little ham, potatoes, corn, and carrots. It may take a bit longer to prepare but the outcome will be worth it. You can even pair the meal with some French bread, and salad!

#5 BBQ Style
 



Google Image Search

If the weather is warm and those gloomy Friday Night Lights don't kick in too fast, there's never a wrong time to have  BBQ when the sun is out. You can serve up some hot dogs and hamburgers with your team's favorite chips. It's a no brainer and will make everyone happy.


Hope all of the meal options helped you make up your mind about what dish you'll be serving at your next team dinner.

Love,
A Cheerleader

How to Wash Your Cheer Uniform

Your uniform is what you wear to assemblies, performances, games, etc. etc. Let's be honest and admit that no matter what precautions you take it will get dirty some way or another whether it's eating and dropping food on it or simply walking by an old and tattered school desk with led on the side. Here's how to wash your uniform when things like this do happen!

Picture from Google Image Search

Step #1: Beforehand buy a good detergent. (Tide is highly recommended.)
Step #2: Bring your uniform to your washing machine and decide which garment will be washed first. All four (shell, skirt, liner, and bloomers) must be washed separated, and since they take about an hour to wash separated (so 3-4 hours all together) you should decide which needs to be the most dry. In fact sometimes uniforms take a little more then overnight to dry so you should try to wash it early in the day.
Step #3: Put garment into washing machine and set others aside in a clean space. Add Tide detergent, and set on "cold water," and on "delicate" or "hand wash, " pending on which your washing machine has listed it under.
Step #4: Once garment is done take out of the wash and hang dry it. You can do it the old fashion way and put it on a clothing line or if you're like me you'll just set it on your dinner table to dry. (if putting it on a table make sure the table doesn't have an spills or crumbs)
Step #5: Repeat for each garment.

Washing Late @ Night

• If life happens and you weren't able to clean your uniform the night before you need it you should make the decision on whether or not to clean it, because it may not be dry in the morning. Sometimes when this happens to be I hang the four garments up in front of a fan on high and hope for the best. They're usually a little damp in the morning but once I wear it and walk around in it, it's dry.

Lettermen Jacket & Boxes

• Cheerleaders carry their boxes to and fro at every game, and the Varsity girls are usually dressed in their lettermen jackets to fight the cold. The boxes and the jackets sometimes don't mix and as the season goes on the box wear out and start leaving paint on jacket sleeves. This is an easy fix with a wash cloth and a bit of aloe vera. The aloe vera not only takes off the paint but it also "massages" the leather.

Gum

• It's high school and dealing with gum will happen daily, whether it's on the floors or the blenchers. Sitting on gum sucks (I know from experience) and it's even worse when it's when you're wearing your uniform skirt when doing it (also from experience). What I used from fighting the gum off my uniform is hot water and a lot of scrubbing, then when that didn't quite cut it I used delicate carpet cleaner and it worked like a gem.

 

A lot can happen in the course of a game or a pep rally, just make sure that your uniform doesn't pay the consequences. Keep it clean and take care of it.

 

Love,

A Cheerleader

 

How to Keep A Clean Rep. As A Cheerleader

Everyone knows who you are. A Cheerleader. It doesn't matter if you're in your uniform, at school wearing your own clothes, or on the streets with your friends. It doesn't matter because no matter where you go you're still a cheerleader! Here's a few things to always remember no matter where you are or who you're with.

Picture from Google Image Search

Social Media

Everyone has either a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Myspace, Ask.fm, etc. Social Media is fun but it can also be a dangerous thing and because of that you really have to watch what you put online. You never know who will see it especially if it's your coach! You really shouldn't post any bad pictures, or mean comments especially if they're targeted at someone or worse a teammate. Ask.fm is another bad site cause trouble in. Although the questions are anon. it's pretty easy to tell sometimes who's asking the questions. You should never bully a teammate or anyone for that matter!

 

Drinking/Drugs

Every student wants to experiment and have a good time but that doesn't mean you have to do the wrong things to have fun. I'll even admit that not everyone can stay away from drugs and drinking but it's really not a good idea not to mention it's against the law! You don't want to get catch doing any of these because it'll look really bad on yourself and your squad.

 

Bullying

Bullying doesn't just happen on social media although it has been happening a lot more lately. It happens at school, in the halls, at lunch, at the mall, etc. etc. etc. Anywhere. Everywhere. You do NOT want to ever be the bully not just because you're a cheerleader but because you have a heart and not even the rudest person in the world deserves to be bullied and picked on. If there were no meanness there would be no bullies, so show some kindness to everyone around you.

 

P.D.A

Tons of girls have boyfriends and it's easy to just want to kiss and hug them 24/7 but remember that you're a role model and need to be appropriate. It's fine, honestly outside of school but while in the halls or class your lips should be sealed. XOXO

 

Rumors

Not only should you not go around spreading or making up rumors you should try to stay out of being the subject of the rumors. Kids can be mean and no matter what rumors will be started. Just make sure the bad ones aren't true.

 

This is all basically common sense and I get that people make a few mistakes here and there but be sure to keep a positive attitude and stay the role model that you were meant to be because you don't just represent yourself or your squad. You represent the whole school. Above all it's high school though and be sure to enjoy it while you can and have fun just make the right choices along the way!

 

Love,

A Cheerleader